At his first senior World Championships, Grigori Klimentev was the only Russian MAG gymnast to qualify to an event final. After Nikita Ignatyev’s 17th place in the all-around final, Klimentev stayed the only medal hope for the Russian men at this competition. He did not falter and improved on his qualification score which earned him the third place (tied with Italy’s Salvatore Maresca).
Klimentev told TASS that he was actually more nervous in the qualification than in the final:
“I’m feeling fantastic. To win a medal at your first major senior competition is something. I did not expect this result form myself but I really hoped and believed in my self and thought, first of all, about the score and not about medals. When there are only thoughts about medals in your head, it’s very hard to compete. It was important for me to do everything at these World Championships the way I do it in training.”
“I was more nervous before the qualification, of course, but this happens at any competition. I thought that it would be all different at the World Championships, scarier somehow, but similarly to the Russian Championships in the spring, I was much more nervous during the qualification than in the final. In the final, you start feeling thrilled when you’re competing with the best.”
“Our [team] leaders were not present at these World Championships and the coaches gave young guys an opportunity to get priceless experience. And this bronze medal speaks for itself. I want to dedicate it to my coaches and my mom.”
Valentina Rodionenko praised Klimentev to the media:
“Grigorii Klimentev is the heir of our decorated rings specialist Sasha Balandin, he’s a very promising boy. The only issues is that it’s his only strong event for now. This World Championships bronze is absolutely a success for him. The World Championships in Japan became the first big [senior] international competition of his career and right from the start – such an achievement.”
She told RSport:
“Klimentev has done something incredible! He went out to his first serious senior international competition and became third at the World Championships. He only has one event for now, rings, and others aren’t shaping up. Clearly, he will specialize on this event. Grigorii showed great prospects, now people will take him into account. He has a very difficult routine, he could’ve placed second among these competitors. Klimentev used his chance. But don’t delude yourself, you know that these World Championships were slated for too soon after the Olympics and this is very hard. After the Olympics, the athletes almost lost their [competition] shape. It’s not accidental that we didn’t send the main men’s team to the World Championships. And not just us, many leaders of men’s gymnastics are not at this competition. At the same time, there was one Olympic champion in men’s gymnastics [Hashimoto Daiki], but he placed second in the all-around final. We’re not upset that we didn’t get a gold today. We don’t plan to rush anything and we’ll do it our own way, by protecting people and preparing difficult routines. We don’t want to have injuries. The guys are still young, they need to mature. We’re not panicking at all, everything’s fine. There are 2.5 years until the Olympics. We didn’t need to surprise anyone at these World Championships, we know what we’re working towards.
At the same time, Rodionenko had some harsh words about team veterans and perpetual alternates Vladislav Poliashov and Nikita Ignatyev:
“We had three young boys compete here – Klimentev, Iakubov, Naidin. The future belongs to these boys, we have a good rising generation. But Poliashov has deteriorated completely, and Ignatyev too. For them, clearly, it was the last international competition because they weren’t able to achieve anything. They’re champions at practices. But when they go out on the competition floor, they lose everything. They’re just not fighters. You have to have character in order to go out and fight.”
